Valve spring retainer tool



March 14, 1933. c. W. BORLAND VALVE SPRING RETAINER TOOL Filed May 12,1952 (IA/Bdrlan cl Qwi. "w l mug Patented Mar. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES:PATENT OFFICE CHARLES W. BURL AND, F HAYWOOD, ILLINOIS VALVE srameRETAINER 'roor.

Application filed May 12, 1932. Serial No. 610,947.

' An object of this invention is to provide a means to prevent thelosing of the valve stem keepers during the removal or replacement ofthese keepers about the valve stem.

Another object of this invention is to provide a magnetic means whichcan be connected to a suitable source of current supply and which willnot only facilitate the removal or replacement of the valve stem keepersbut will also pick up the keepers in the event they drop into thevehicle engine, thereby eliminating the necessity of taking portions ofthe engine apart in order to obtain the keepers.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of this kindwhich has adjustable means to adjust the degree of magnetism so that thedevice can be used to replace the valve stem keepers.

The above and various other objects and advantages of this inventionwill in part be described in and in part be understood from thefollowing detailed description ,of the present preferred embodiment, thesame being illustrated in theaccompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section partly in detail and partly brokenaway of a device constructed according to the preferred embodiment ofthis invention.

Figure 2 is a detail top plan view of one of the valve stem keepersupporting members having a keeper mounted therein.

Figure 3 is a similar view with the keeper removed from the attachment.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the guide member for guidingthe device' toward the valve stem. 1

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section partly in detail of a further keeperattachment.

Figure 6 is a detail side elevation of an other attachment which can bemounted on the end of this device so as to remove keepers which may dropinto the casing of the engine.

numerals of reference designate correspond: ing parts throughout theseveral views, the numeral 10 designates generally a handle, and thenumeral 11 designates a sleeve or stem pro ecting forwardly of thehandle 10. The stem 11 also has a shaft or rod 12 secured therein bymeans of a securing member 13 or the like, and the outer end of this rod12 is provided with threads 14 to removably receive the inner endportion 15 of a keeper supporting member, generally designated as Thiskeeper supporting member 16 comprises a shank or threaded member 15engagmg the outer end of the rod 12, which rod 12 is preferably made ofiron which is capable of being readily magnetized and the keepersupporting member 16 is preferably of relatively soft iron which iscapable of being readily magnetized. The keeper supporting member 16also includes a plate 17 which has a slot 18 therein to loosely receivethe valve stem S. An upstanding rim or flange 19 is formed with theplate 17 and this flange 1 9 is of generally arcuate construction but isprovided at the center thereof with a rearwardly curved portion 20, thepurpose of which will be hereinafter described.

A valve stem keeper 21 is. adapted to engage about the reduced lower endportion 22 of the stem S and as shown in Figure 1,

the keeper 21 is adapted to seat on the plate 17 and is initially placedabout the stem S by disposing the two portions of the keeper insubstantially V-shaped form with the apex extending rearwardly or towardthe curved or bulging portion 20.

A guide rod, generally designated as 23, is slidably mounted within thecore or rod 12, which core is provided with a bore24= and the outer endof the guide member 23 is provided with a segmental tappet engagingmember 25. The inner end of the guide member 23 has an enlarged head 26carrying aspring 27 which holds the guide member 23 in longitudinallyadjusted position within the bore 24. The guide member 23 is slidablethrough an opening 28 provided in the In order to magnetize the core 12and the valve keeper supporting member 16, I have provided a coil 29which is disposed about the-core 12, this coil 29 being formed ofrelatively fine Wire which is mounted within a casing 30. An end member31 engages the outer end of the casing 30 and abuts against one end ofthe ,oil 29, and an inner end member 32 engages the inner end of thecylindrical casing or housing 30 and is secured about the core 12 inabutlng relation to the outer end of the sleeve 11.

A resistance coil 33 is mounted within the housing 30 intermediate theinner end of the coil 29 and the end member 32, and the outer end ofthis resistance coil 33 is separated from the coil 29 by means of aseparating member 34 of non-conducting material. The coil 29 is providedwith two conductors 35 and 36, which are adapted to be connected to asuitable source of current supply. The conductor 36 has a clip 37secured to one end thereof and this one end extends axially through thehandle 10 and is adapted to be connected to battery or other suitablesource of current supply.

A spring pressed switch 38 is interposed inthe conductor 35 and thisswitch is normally in open position so as to break the circuit to thecoil 29. A conductor 39 is connected at one end to one end of theresistance coil 33 and the opposite end is connected to the conductor 35at a point beyond the switch 38. The other end of the resistance coil 33is connected by means of a conductor 40 to the conductor 35 on the sideof the switch nearest the coil 29 so that when the switch 38 is in itsnormal open position, the current from the source of supply will beshunted through the resistance coil 33 and into the coil 29, therebyreducing the power of the current'to ma netize the core 12. 1

When it is esired to remove a keeper 21 from about the valve stem S, theswitch 38 may be closed, thereby cutting out the resistance coil 33 andmagnetizing the core 12 to a higher degree' In this manner, the keeper21 will be firmly held on the plate 17 and will be held thereuponnotwithstanding movement of the supporting member 16 laterally relativeto the stem S so that the two portions of the keepers will be firmlyheld on the plate 17.

The keeper supporting member 16a shown in Figure 5"is similar to thekeeper 16 with the exception that the plate 17:]. is not provided withan upstanding rim. This attachmentor keeper supporting member 16a may beused to remove the keeper 21 from about the valve stem S. An elongatedbar 41 of longitudinally curved configuration is provided with a nut 42which threadably en gages the threaded end portion. 14 of the core 12,and this member is used where one or more portions of the keeper 21 dropinto the engine casing or behind portions of the engine which cannot bereadlly reached by fingers or removing tools. I

In the use and operation of this device, the conductors 35 and 36 may beconnected to a battery or source of current supply through the clips 37and 43. With the switch 38 in open position, the electric current willflow through the resistance unit 33 and into the coil 29, the resistancecoil 33 reducing the magnetism of the core so that the tip 16 will bemagnetized only to a small degree. When the valve spring is raisedthrough the use of a valve spring compression tool 44 of conventionalconstruction, the keeper 21 will drop onto the supporting tool 16 andthe switch 38,may then be closed so as to shunt out the resistance coil33 and magnetize the core '12 and the support 16 to a higher degree sothat the handle 10 may be moved laterally of the stem S which willspread the keeper members 21 apart, but these members will be held onthe support 16 by the power of the magnetism in the core 12 and the coreextension or support 16.

In the placement of the keepers 21 about the valve stem S, the keepersmay be placed on the support 16, as shown in Figure 2, being placed insubstantially V shape. The guide 23 may be pulled outwardly to the limitprovided by the enlarged stop portion or slide 26. The tappet engagingmember 25 may then be engaged with the periphery of the tappet whereuponthe handle 10 ma be moved inwardly, and through the use 0 this guidemember 23, the keeper supporting member 16 will be guided in the correctposition with respect to the peripheral groove 22 of the valve stem S sothat the keepers 21 will properly engage about the valve stem. As thehandle 10 is moved inwardly with the keepers 21 about the valve stem,the periphe of the stem will force the rear portion 0 the keepers intothe notch 20 of the flange 19 which will serve as a means to compress orclose the keepers about the valve stem S. The spring compressing tool 44may then be released so as to permit the spring to force the valve spiing washer 45 downwardly and close about the keeper 21.

It is, of course, understood that various changes and modifications maybe made in the details of construction and design of the abovespecifically described embodiment of this invention without departingfrom the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restrictedonly by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device as described comprising a hanmember, a guide means below themember,

' handle,

and frictional means for maintaining the guide means in adjustedposition relative to the handle.

2. A device as described comprising a handle, a keeper supportingmember, means for magnetizing the member, means for varying the degreeof magnetization of the member,

a guidemeans below the member and frictional means for maintaining theguide means in adjusted position relative to the handle.

3. A device as described comprising a handle, a valve stem keepersupporting member, means for securing the member to the handle, meansfor magnetizing the member whereby to removably hold the keeper on themember, a guide means below the member and frictional means formaintaining the guide means in adjusted position relative to the handle.

4. A device as described comprising a handle, a valve stem keepersupporting member, means for securing the member to the handle, meansfor magnetizing the member, guide means for guiding the member duringthe operation of replacing a valve stem keeper, and resilient means forholding the guide means in adjusted position.

5. A device as described comprising a handle, a valve stem keeperengaging member, means for securing the member to the handle, means formagnetizing the member, means for varying the degree of magnetization ofthe member, and slidable guide means for guiding the member toward avalve stem during the operation of replacing a keeper about the stem. p

6. A device as described comprising a.

handle, a valve stem keeper supporting memher, a core member secured tothe handle and to the member, a coil about the core whereby to magnetizethe core and the member, means for varying the degree of magnetizationof the member and the core, a guide means in the core and means forfrictionally holding the guide means in adjusted position within thecore.

7. A device as described comprising a handle, a valve stem keepersupporting member, a core carried by the handle and engaging the member,a plurality of coils disposed about the core, means for selectivelyinterposing the coils in an electric circuit to vary the degree ofmagnetization of the member, a guide means in the core and means forfrictionally holding the guide means in adjusted position within thecore.

8. A device as described comprising a a valve stem keeper supportingmember, an iron core carried by the handle and engaging the member, acoil disposed about the core, conductors engaging the coil and adaptedto be interposed in an electric circuit to energize the coil andmagnetize the core and the member, a resistance means connected to thecoil, means for shunting the resistance means whereby to vary the degreeof magnetization of the member, a guide means in the core and means forfrictionally holding the guide means in adjusted position within thecore.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

- CHARLES W. BORLAND.

